Burlington County Chairman situation changing by the day

by: Jason Springer

Thu Jan 28, 2010 at 06:03:50 PM EST

As there is some confusion as to the status of the forthcoming special meeting

Today I opened my mailbox and had another letter, this from Acting Chairwoman Alice Furia:

By now you have heard about a special meeting scheduled for February 4, 2010 at Kove II, which purportedly has as its purpose the election of an "interim chairman" for the Burlington County Democratic Committee. Such an election will not take place or be recognized on that date. Pursuant to the advice and opinion of legal counsel, the special meeting February 4, 2010, to the extent it seeks to elect an interim chairman for the BCDC, is absolutely contrary to and violates the BCDC's by-laws. Therefore, any action taken at that meeting purporting to elect an interim chairman shall not be recognized, and will be declared null and void. The election iwll take place in June - as scheduled - pursuant to and as required by the BCDC's by-laws, and will take place on the first Tuesday immediately folllowing the primary election.

Since the BCDC by-laws do not permit the selection of a Chair on an interim basis, any attempt to do so through a special meeting is ultra vires and therefore, void.

In fact, if a Chairperson were to be elected on an interim basis, that election would breach the by-laws and unjustly infringe upon the duties specifically assigned to the Vice Chair.

Judging delayed

by: Jason Springer

Sun Jun 21, 2009 at 02:35:38 PM EDT

State Sen. Philip Haines (R-Springfield) will remain in the Senate until after the November general election, and will become a Superior Court Judge during the Legislature's lame duck session, according to sources familiar with the pending appointment.

Haines, a 59-year-old Burlington County Republican who was elected in 2007 after years as the County Clerk and as a Freeholder, has spent much of this year angling for a judgeship.  Democrats prefer that a special election for his seat be put off until November 2010, rather than this fall.

Will a Judge Haines make way for a Senator Myers

by: Jason Springer

Wed Jun 17, 2009 at 10:15:00 AM EDT

Burlington County Republicans are saying that they expect Gov. Jon Corzine to nominate State Sen. Philip Haines (R-Springfield) to the Superior Court this month, and that Haines has told party leaders he could be out of the Senate as early as June 25.  Republican sources say that Christopher Myers, a former Medford Mayor who won 48% in a bid for Congress last year, has emerged as the leading candidate to win a July special election convention to fill Haines' seat.

Burlco Times smacks down 8th District Legislators

by: Jason Springer

Wed Apr 08, 2009 at 02:00:00 PM EDT

People who work in glass statehouses shouldn't throw rocks.

Eighth District Republican state lawmakers, Sen. Phil Haines of Springfield, Assemblywoman Dawn Marie Addiego of Evesham and Assemblyman Scott Rudder of Medford recently called for the head of Lester Richens, Burlington County's executive superintendent of schools, in the wake of his decision to veto Pemberton Borough's proposed school budget.

The town's school officials sought a waiver to the state-required minimum tax levy in order to make a $93,000 reduction in the school's tax budget, which would have lowered residents' property tax bills by a substantial $293.

If he had waived the minimum requirement, Richens would have had to break the law.

"The law is the law and I believe it's set to protect districts so that there is a minimum amount for education," Richens said.

The Republicans called that logic "twisted" and "convoluted." What's twisted and convoluted about upholding the law?

"Richens' message to property taxpayers is: You don't matter. You can't have lower property taxes. It's appalling," said Addiego in the lawmaker's news release.

What's appalling to us is that the elected officials who are in the best position to lower property taxes have chosen instead to make a scapegoat out of a Democratic appointee.

If we were cynical types, we would say that this smacks of political opportunism on the part of the legislators since they are all up for re-election this November.

Lawmakers Sen. Haines, Assemblywoman Addiego and Assemblyman Rudder have not announced any plans to change the law that requires districts to maintain a minimum tax levy even if it prevents districts from lowering taxes, which is what we elected them to do.

If they're not happy with the state law requiring a mandatory state minimum tax levy for school budgets and really want to help lower property taxes, Sen. Haines, Assemblywoman Addiego and Assemblyman Rudder are certainly in a position to do something about it.

We're anxious to hear how they plan to lower property taxes. Are you? Call them at 609-654-1498.

Burlington County Election Watch

by: Jay Lassiter

Tue Nov 06, 2007 at 09:03:56 PM EST

I just arrived at the hotel ballroom where the results of the 8th district race will be announced soon enough.  Fran Bodine, Tracy Riley and Chris Fifis are the democratic slate looking to make inroads in this historically red district.  (NJ Sen. Martha Bark and Asm Larry Chatzidakis are not running for another tilt.)

  Props to the Wyndham for their whitehot wireless connection speed.  I am gonna make the rounds.  Updates will be forthcoming!

Image:  Newly minted democrat Fran Bodine takes a swing at Martha's Bark's senate seat.  In the meantime, we eat shrimp cocktails.  Also spotted tonite:  candidates Chris Fifas, Rich Dennison and others.  As of 9:43 the mood is still quite festive. (more pics below the flip)

GOP Playbook: When In Doubt, Scream Terrorism

by: Scott Shields

Fri Nov 02, 2007 at 02:48:37 PM EDT

The New York Times wrote up a comprehensive review of their tactics this morning. Here are the most galling examples. I think you'll agree that the charges of terrorist sympathy are stretches at best and straight up lies at worst.

• In Bergen County's 39th LD, incumbent Senator and right-wing lunatic Gerald Cardinale is attacking Democratic challenger Joe Ariyan because Ariyan's law partner is an Arab-American who is involved with the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. The ADC is a favorite target of David Horowitz, whose front-groups are clearly the source of the Cardinale campaign's talking points. But according to Cardinale's own wife, the state chapter of the Anti Defamation League has refused to condemn the ADC, denying that they are aligned with terrorists, calling them "benign." This whisper campaign against Ariyan has only started peaking its head in the press, but it's widely expected that the GOP will be doing a heavy direct mail campaign on this to close out the election.

• In Burlington County's 8th LD, Democratic Assembly challenger Tracy Riley is being attacked because her husband is the court-appointed public defender for one of the men accused of plotting a terror attack on Fort Dix. Mail sent to voters in the district shows photos of masked men with guns overlaid with the question, "Tracey Riley: Whose values will she represent in Trenton? Ours? Or theirs?"

• In Toms River's mayoral race, Democratic challenger Richard Strada is being attacked by the incumbent Republican's campaign for holding an interfaith panel as the dean at Ocean County College, which was attended by an associate of Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman. The associate, Mohamed Nabeel Elmasry, was not invited by Strada, who was also unaware of his association with Rahman.

In the case of both Ariyan and Strada, their Republican opponents had conducted polling (some called it push-polling) that implied that the Democrats supported terrorism. And in all three races, Republican favorites are feeling the heat from Democratic challengers.

Sadly, this is what we've become used to from Republicans in New Jersey and across the nation. Since September 11, every time they're in trouble, they pull the proverbial fire alarm and scream terrorism at the top of their lungs. It's interesting to note that this time, the media doesn't seem to be buying it. Though the Times is the first to give this trend its attention this election cycle, PoliticsNJ reporters Matt Friedman and Max Pizarro have been on these stories from the start (check here, here, and here for examples).

We can only hope that the voters are as astute as the reporters in sifting through these Republican scare tactics and recognizing them for what they are -- baseless garbage.

Dawn Addiego's Golfing Legacy in Evesham: A Financial mess

by: Jason Springer

Thu Oct 25, 2007 at 10:50:21 PM EDT

The ballroom at the Indian Spring Country Club is called the Aurora Room, named for the Roman goddess who rises from the ocean in a chariot to bring on the dawn and is a reminder of former Councilwoman Dawn Marie Addiego's role in its construction.

She said she was proud of her efforts "to turn around what was a struggling club, rife with corruption, and set it on the course to become a well-regarded golf facility and highly sought after banquet facility that will be a revenue generator for Evesham Township's recreation programs and its residents."

Coddling the Constitutional Cowards

by: Juan Melli

Mon Aug 06, 2007 at 10:54:40 PM EDT

Late last week three Republican mayors from Burlington County made a mockery of themselves when they feigned outrage that Assembly candidate Tracy Riley's husband is a defense attorney. They were shocked that he was appointed to represent one of the men accused of the Fort Dix 'terror plot'. Their thin grasp of the Constitution quickly earned them a thorough smackdown from the Burlington County Times editorial board which reminded them that "they could also use a refresher in campaigning with integrity."

The irony was probably lost on them. While they try to scare people with their terrorism fear-mongering, they are in fact that ones who - without so much as a fight - are throwing away those things that are so fundamental to our country. Due process, the presumption of innocence, the right to an attorney...they're all just arcane afterthoughts to be discarded and used for political ammunition.

It looked bad enough that they would ruin their reputations for a cheap political attack on behalf of their legislative candidates. But the public humiliation must have been too tempting for the candidates to resist. Today eighth district Republican candidates Phil Haines, Dawn Addiego and Scott Rudder issued a press release once again attacking their opponent and her husband's job.

To know in advance the ridicule and mockery that await you. To know that you are crapping on our country's most cherished values. To attack the document they each swore to uphold and defend. And to defend the indefensible. That is what desperation smells like.

Pick Your Map-Changer

by: Thurman Hart

Thu Jun 07, 2007 at 09:00:04 PM EDT

Check below the fold for more info.

Assemblyman Bodine to switch parties

by: Scott Weingart

Wed Apr 04, 2007 at 09:42:59 PM EDT

Update: Several sources confirm that Assemblyman Bodine will run for Senate with Mt Laurel councilwoman Tracy Riley and former freeholder candidate Chris Fifis as Assembly runningmates.